Brazil stimulus plan will allow workers to withdraw money from severance fund

BRASILIA, July 27 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazil hopes to inject US$ 11.2 billion into its slowing economy after announcing a plan to put some extra cash in the pockets of workers. Workers will be allowed to withdraw up to 500 reais (US$ 133) this year and a certain percentage in 2020…

Argentina: YPF hires an LNG tanker to ship Vaca Muerta shale gas to global markets

BUENOS AIRES, July 27 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Argentina’s YPF said it reached a preliminary agreement with Texas-based Excelerate Energy to hire an LNG tanker for shipping cargoes to global export markets, as the state-backed energy company seeks to offload a growing surplus of shale gas production. A final agreement is to…

Brazil’s highest court orders Petrobras to refuel two stranded Iranian grain vessels

BRASILIA, July 27 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazil’s top court ordered state-run oil company Petrobras to refuel two Iranian grain vessels stranded on the Brazilian coast due to U.S. sanctions holding up sales of fuel needed for their return trips. Chief Justice Dias Toffoli overturned a lower court ruling that allowed Petrobras…

Argentina’s economy lifting out of recession: activity rises in May for the first time in a year

BUENOS AIRES, July 27 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Argentina’s economic activity rose for the first time in over a year in May, a rare boost for President Mauricio Macri as he looks to dig the South American country out of a crippling recession ahead of presidential elections later this year. The 2.6%…

DR Congo: President Tshisekedi and predecessor Kabila agree on division of cabinet posts

KINSHASA, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Allies of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his predecessor Joseph Kabila said they had reached an agreement on the division of cabinet posts between the two political camps. Negotiations have dragged on since Tshisekedi’s inauguration in January. They have been seen as a test of…

Tanzania to shut part of wildlife preserve to big game hunters

DAR ES SALAAM, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tanzanian President John Magufuli ordered the sprawling Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to be split in two to restrict the access of big game hunters. Covering 50,000 sq km, the Selous reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa,…

Zimbabwe tourism minister charged with corruption worth $95 million

HARARE, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwean Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira was charged in court on Friday with corruption involving $95 million from the state pension fund after questioning by the newly formed Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). Mupfumira is the first senior government official to be interrogated by the commission, which…

Ecuador to require visas for Venezuelan migrants – Moreno

QUITO, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno signed a decree requiring Venezuelan citizens, who until now could cross the border with a passport or other form of identification, to have a visa to enter the country. The measure “will also normalise the status of Venezuelan nationals that are…

Thousands of Colombians march to protest activist killings

BOGOTA, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands marched in cities around Colombia in protest of the murder of hundreds of human rights activists, a spat of deadly violence which the country has been unable to quell in spite of a 2016 peace deal with Marxist rebels. The killings, attributed to a…

Mexican gov’t seeks rules for energy investment: Pres Obrador

MEXICO CITY, July 27 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Mexican government has set up a negotiation table with businesses to establish “clear rules” for investment in the energy sector, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. At his morning press conference, the president referred to a meeting held Wednesday with leaders from the…